Interview: Joan Swan, author of 'Fever'

11:00 AM

Joan Swan's debut romantic suspense, Fever, hit shelves last week. But even before selling her first book, Swan enjoyed success as a writer. She's a triple RWA Golden Heart finalist, as well as a double Daphne du Maurier finalist. A serious student of the craft of writing, she works in the medical field as a sonographer, a job that has given her a front-row seat when it comes to the joys and tragedies of human life, from parents' first glimpse of their unborn baby to a patient's cancer diagnosis to performing tests on dangerous inmates in shackles.

Swan's writing is gritty, reflecting the hard realities of the world she knows. But in the world of romantic suspense, the road to romance is often paved in grit. We caught up with Swan this week to talk about storytelling, why romantic suspense is so addicting both for authors and readers, and the unique challenges of writing a dangerous alpha male.

Pamela: You describe yourself as a hoarder of books about the craft of writing. Which book that you've squirreled away was most helpful for you? Did you have any big "aha!" moments as a writer that led to fundamental changes in how you were writing or approaching the art of storytelling?

Joan: Oh, so many good books! The one that I think resulted in the biggest aha for me was Story Structure Demystified by Larry Brooks. Larry runs the blog Story Fix.

Prior to picking up Larry's book, I'd tried to grasp the three-act structure, the concept of turning points, etc., for years. Books, seminars, workshops, you name it, but for whatever reason, my mind kept resisting.

Then I picked up this book and the way Larry described the structure, what should happen within the different acts and why — wow, did it make sense. Everything clicked, and I immediately applied it to my second manuscript in the Phoenix Rising series, Blaze. Blaze had already been written, and I was getting ready to revise.

I used the structure to analyze the manuscript and found powerful ways to strengthen, tighten and empower the book.

Pamela: What drew you to writing romantic suspense as opposed to some other subgenre?

Joan: The thrill of sex, the deep emotions of true love, the excitement of danger, all polished to a glorious sheen with that fear of possibly losing it all … forever. Fiction just doesn't get any more exhilarating.

Pamela: Romantic suspense is definitely love with high stakes. Some authors focus more on the romance and others on the suspense. Do you tend to focus on one more than the other? If not, how do you balance the romantic elements with the suspense?

Joan: It depends on the book. It also depends on the publishing line I'm writing for. If I were left to my own devices, my books would probably end up as romantic thrillers — 75% thriller/suspense and 25% romance. That's just sorta the way I roll naturally.

But, as most authors, I'm flexible and I find all writing challenging in different ways. Currently, I'm writing for Brava, which is one of Kensington's hotter romance lines.

Therefore, I know my audience will be looking for more romance and some juicier love scenes, and I write accordingly.

Balance is a matter of 1) focusing on your target audience and knowing what they expect, 2) fitting your characters — personality, GMC (goal/motivation/conflict), back story and 3) accommodating your story/plot.

Pamela: Fever is your debut and book one in your Phoenix Rising series. (Congratulations, by the way!) How long have you been writing to reach this moment? Tell us about the day you got "The Call."

I've been writing for 10 years now, which means I had been writing eight years when I sold Fever.

I got the call on my drive to work. I work in San Francisco and park in an underground garage, so I remember having to pull over and stop so I could keep my cell connection with my agent to discuss everything. I remember thinking, "Crap, I'm going to be late." Then in the next second thinking, "What the hell do I care? Oh, my God. They want to buy my book!"

Pamela: Teague Creek, the hero in Fever, is a hardcore alpha male — he's ripped and truly dangerous, a convicted murderer with a desperate plan. The scene in which he takes Alyssa captive is not filled with faux dangers but reads like the real thing. How do you take a character like Teague and make him sympathetic to readers? How do you show the softer sides of a dangerous alpha male without depriving him of that alpha edge?

Joan: This was a major concern for me. I looked at various ways to start the book, but ended up coming back to this scenario every time. It was the strongest, the most compelling. But I had the odds stacked against me.

To stay true to Teague's character, I kept his sympathetic characteristics, taking opportunities as the scene allowed. There are subtle hints in the way Teague refrains from undue violence, where he shields the heroine from his brutal co-escapee (and the villain) and how he never uses the racial slurs the villain does.

In chapter two, we switch to Teague's point of view, and the reader gets a whole different perspective. Seeing life and the mission through Teague's eyes, the reader gains more understanding, which also drives the need to discover more. Overall, what I think makes Teague so sympathetic is his quest to reach his daughter. He risks his freedom and his life to fulfill his dream of sharing his life with her again.

He remains edgy because he's lived as a convict for three years. One thousand and ninety-five days of concrete cells, iron bars, chain-link fences, razor wire surrounded by animals who would gut him without a second thought. That has been his reality, and it makes him forceful, fierce and focused.

Pamela: The book features rough scenarios, rough language and even racial epithets (used by the antagonist, not the hero or heroine — a big distinction). Why have you chosen to bring no-holds-barred grit into the story?

Joan: Because it's real. I wrote the reality for those characters in that situation.

Teague's reality is all about staying alive or dying violently. Not preference. Not choice. And in prison, men affiliate by race. Period. So when he needs help escaping, he's forced to rely on another gang member.

I chose to write a biracial heroine because I live in a multicultural environment. I work in San Francisco, and love the variety of people and cultures I experience there. I wanted to add the same vibrancy to my books.

As for the "racial slurs," these come from one of the villains in the beginning of the story, and we all know what ultimately happens to villains. While many of us, myself included, feel uncomfortable with this type of language, that conflict is both vital to the character and the story. Teague is a desperate man in a desperate situation with no allies. For a chance at freedom, at life, he has to endure this wretched character, and that conflict touches every aspect of the story.

For me, the very sweetest resolution comes from the deepest conflict as it relates to the characters and their internal struggle. The pay off for reaching "The End" is having traveled alongside the characters as they emerge, struggle, grow, nearly lose everything that matters, then triumph and find themselves happier than they imagined they could ever be.

"Conflict is character, character is story."

— F. Scott Fitzgerald

Pamela: You work in the medical field as a sonographer, which no doubt has exposed you to a range of situations, both happy and tragic. Your training brings a level of authenticity to your heroine, Dr. Alyssa Foster. Did incidents from real life help to inspire scenes from this series?

Joan: Absolutely. I've been in medicine for more than 20 years, so there are pieces of my real-life incidents throughout the medical scenes in the book. The sterile environment, procedures, bandaging, severity of injuries, medication, pain levels, healing processes … they all come into play from my experience.

Of course, the initial scene in Fever was born from a year of scanning inmates every morning and spending hours every day surrounded by prisoners and guards, watching their interactions, observing patterns and realizing it wouldn't take much for everything to go very wrong … as it did in Fever.

Pamela: As someone who has been on the other side of the prisoner experience — as a journalist I spent 24 hours locked up as an inmate to learn more about women's lives behind bars and have covered prison issues for 15 years — I felt the absolute authenticity of that scene. The tension is thick. I couldn't quit reading.

Joan: Thanks, Pamela!

Pamela: Now Teague has a special ability — one he doesn't quite know how to control. How is that going to affect his development as a character? Can you give us any hints about his paranormal ability and where it might take him?

Joan: Teague has a thermokinetic ability, which is the ability to control body temperature, and it was so much fun to write! His body heat rises when he gets angry or anxious. The ability arose out of an unfortunate incident at a military warehouse fire where he and his hazmat firefighting team were exposed to radioactive chemicals. He doesn't understand it, doesn't know how to control it, what to do with it or how to use it.

In the beginning of the book, Teague is disgusted with his lack of control over the power and would just as soon be rid of it. He's ashamed of the pathetic heat that causes more harm than good and makes others look at him like he's a freak.

What was really fun, was making Teague's heroine a physician — someone rooted in hard science. So when he uses his powers and she sees his ability to heal, she's freaking out in her head, trying to make sense of it with tried-and-true scientific explanation. When they simply can't hold up, she slowly becomes intrigued, then fascinated.

Through her help, Teague not only learns how to accept his abilities, but how to better harness and use them, and I swear I had as much watching him learn as they did!

Pamela: Your husband is a firefighter. Did he inspire Teague's "skill" in any way or offer you insights on that aspect of the story?

Joan: Let's see … How to hotwire a car, why a firefighter would know how to hotwire a car, basic medical abilities, technicalities of propane tanks, spark ignition, explosions, structure fire … you know, the fun stuff.

Pamela: Teague's unique ability isn't the only source of heat in Fever. What can readers expect in terms of sensuality from a Joan Swan novel?

Joan: I've had Fever rated across the board from "hot" to "erotic." I would by no means call this book erotica. In the grand scheme of things, I'd say Fever is a 3.5/5 flame read.

The sexual tension begins immediately, fueled by Teague's abilities at first, but transitioning deeper as they spend more time together and becoming scorching as her fear of him dims. So there is definitely a very steady burn throughout …

Now, Blaze, book two is, in my opinion, a bit hotter.

Pamela: I was just going to ask … Can you give us any hints about Blaze?

Joan: I just love this book! I have two big weaknesses in romance: 1) tortured hero and/or heroine and 2) reunion stories. Blaze has both.

In Blaze, two of the firefighters on the team whose relationship suffered physical, mental and emotional trauma from the warehouse fire, come back together, united as stronger individuals for the good of the team and find their love for one another, one that never died, is as strong as ever. But they face an even darker conspiracy than expected, one that will push their bond to the limit.

And, yeah, it's hot.

Pamela: With two firefighters, how could it not be? Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, and congratulations on your debut! Here's wishing you every success.

Pamela Clare is an award-winning journalist and nationally best-selling author of both historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense. She loves coffee, the Colorado mountains, and her two grown sons. Her website is PamelaClare.com.

Comment

USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the FAQ and Conversation Guidelines.